A late-Romantic work by the Portuguese master José Vianna da Motta, blending virtuosic demands with lyrical beauty. The piece highlights a sophisticated harmonic language reflective of his Lisztian training.
Mastering the cantabile melody in the upper register requires significant control over voicing.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
As férias (Op.14) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of As férias (Op.14) lasts about 4 minutes.
As férias (Op.14) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Bells across the Meadows (Characteristic Intermezzo)) by Albert William Ketèlbey, Canson pel cabalet by Déodat de Séverac, An English Waltz by Cyril Scott — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.